How much is Varela worth? Benfica have buy-back option, but January sale makes little sense for Monza

Gustavo Varela scoring has become an almost weekly occurrence for Monza. The striker leads the scoring charts, but what stands out even more is the impression of a complete forward, capable of finding the net in virtually any situation.

His outstanding form is attracting interest from across Europe, with Barcelona the latest club to enter the race. January could bring a fierce battle for his signature.

Monza face a difficult decision over Varela's future
On one hand, Monza need to avoid relegation, making a January departure for Varela unlikely, at least in theory. On the other, there is no guarantee he will maintain his current scoring rate. Players such as Krzysztof Piątek, and more recently Giovane at Napoli, have shown how quickly a striker's fortunes can change.

That raises an uncomfortable question for Monza: should they cash in while Varela's value is soaring and reinvest the money to help secure the club's future?

It is far from an easy decision, particularly if offers of €25m or more arrive.

Benfica could exercise their buy-back option
Benfica could also have a say in Varela's future. The Portuguese club retain a buy-back clause that would allow them to match an offer from another club and bring the striker back. The financial implications would be particularly interesting, as Benfica would also be entitled to 20 per cent of any transfer fee received by Monza.

Malezas: “I expected great things from Varela, but not so quickly”
Varela's coach Stelios Malezas recently spoke to TMW about the striker's remarkable development.

“I always expected great things from him, great numbers and performances, but not so quickly, to be honest. I thought he would need more time to adapt, but this demonstrates his strong character as well as his great personality.

“We moved him up from the Under-17s to the Under-19s because of his physical characteristics, but not only because of that. Also because his best quality, then as now, was his tenacity, the fact that he was not afraid, that he always stayed involved in the game and, technically, his ability to read situations inside the penalty area. A unique sense of anticipation.”